Current treatment guidelines recommend ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) as the first-line treatment for new-diagnosed primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients. However, up to 40% patients are insensitive to UDCA monotherapy, and evaluation of UDCA response at 12 months may result in long period of ineffective treatment. We aimed to develop a new criterion to reliably identify non-response patients much earlier. Recently, our team designed and validated a new early criterion for distinguishing high-risk PBC patients in a Chinese population for the first time. Our data indicated that PBC patients with ALP ≤ 2.5 × ULN, AST ≤ 2 × ULN, and TBIL ≤ 1 × ULN (Xi'an criterion) after 1 month UDCA treatment were likely to have better prognosis. It can be readily applied in the rapid identification of PBC patients who require additional therapeutic approaches. However, whether it is reasonable to apply it to the response definition of clinical research, and the guidance of PBC management and choice of second-line treatment, further research is needed.
This is a multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study that will assess the efficacy and safety of fenofibrate in patients with PBC who had an inadequate biochemical response to UDCA, as defined by the Xi'an criteria. Fenofibrate or placebo 200 mg will be daily administered in combination with UDCA 13-15 mg/kg/d for 48 months. Patient safety will be monitored. Primary end-point will be the percentage of patients with a complete normalization of the ALP and TBIL. Secondary endpoints will include the percentage of drug-related adverse events, survival rates without liver transplantation or liver decompensation, time course of non-invasive liver fibrosis measurements (LSM), time course of endoscopic, ultrasound, and biochemical features of portal hypertension, time course of pruritus and of quality of life using validated scales.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
150
1 tablet/ day
200 mg/day
The second hospital of Lanzhou University
Lanzhou, Gansu, China
RECRUITINGSun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGNanjing Drum Tower Hospital
Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
RECRUITINGThe First Hospital of China Medical University
Shenyang, Liaoning, China
RECRUITINGYing han
Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
RECRUITINGSichuan Provincial People's Hospital,
Chengdu, Sichuan, China
RECRUITINGTianjin Medical University General Hospital
Tianjin, China
RECRUITINGPercentage of patients with complete biochemical response
The normalisation of Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin (TBIL).
Time frame: 48 weeks
Percentage of patients having complete biochemical response
The normalisation of Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin (TBIL) at 4, 12, 24, and 36 weeks.
Time frame: 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks
Assessment of the fatigue and the quality of life
Change from baseline in primary biliary cholangitis -40 (PBC-40) quality of life (QoL) questionnaire scores.
Time frame: 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks
Assessment of the fatigue and the quality of life
Change from baseline in pruritus as assessed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) total score for fatigue and pruritus.
Time frame: 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks
Evolution of the biological markers of the hepatic function or being in the usual prognostic scores
Mayo score at 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks
Time frame: 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks
Evolution of the biological markers of the hepatic function or being in the usual prognostic scores
Child-Puch score at 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks
Time frame: 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks
Evolution of the biological markers of the hepatic function or being in the usual prognostic scores
MELD score at 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks
Time frame: 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks
Evolution of the biological markers of the hepatic function or being in the usual prognostic scores
GLOBE-PBC score at 48 weeks
Time frame: 48 weeks
Evolution of the biological markers of the hepatic function or being in the usual prognostic scores
UK-PBC score at 48 weeks
Time frame: 48 weeks
Percentage of patients having biological or clinical adverse events
Increase of creatinine
Time frame: 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks
Percentage of patients having biological or clinical adverse events
Increase of Blood urea nitrogen
Time frame: 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks
Percentage of patients having biological or clinical adverse events
Increase of creatine kinase
Time frame: 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks
Percentage of patients having biological or clinical adverse events
Increase of ALT and AST.
Time frame: 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks
Survival without transplantation and hepatic impairment
Occurrence of ascites, variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, liver-transplantation, or death.
Time frame: 48 weeks
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